Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud AbbasIssam Rimawi/Flash 90

"We will never recognize the Jewishness of the state of Israel," Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas declared on Saturday.

Abbas’s statement came at a meeting of Arab foreign ministers and was quoted by Channel 10 News. At that same meeting, the foreign ministers announced their “categorical rejection of recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.”

According to Channel 10, Abbas said in his remarks at the meeting that the security coordination between Israel and the PA would be suspended unless peace negotiations resume.

He further said that he demanded that the United States and its Secretary of State John Kerry work together with him to create an outline to be submitted to the UN Security Council and which would pressure Israel to stop “settlement construction.”

"The situation in [Judea and Samaria] is dangerous and cannot continue. All indications are that the American mediation failed to complete the negotiations," Abbas was quoted as having said, adding that he plans to sign international conventions and treaties, including the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Abbas is moving forward with plans  to turn to the Security Council with a resolution setting a deadline for Israel to “end the occupation”, a unilateral move that is in violation of the Oslo Accords.

The move has been accompanied by threats, with Abbas having recently threatened to cut ties with Israel if his latest unilateral move at the UN fails.

Even though the PA has reaffirmed several times it would be going through with the unilateral move, reports earlier this week said that the PA postponed submitting the resolution, in order to buy time in continuing to lobby for the required nine council members to vote for the move.